Canon + on + onhttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com
Unloading through the keyboard for three full decades.Sat, 17 Mar 2018 04:40:58 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngCanon + on + onhttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com
The #Austin116 Erahttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/the-austin116-era/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/the-austin116-era/#respondFri, 27 Jan 2017 01:00:13 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=2028During the roughest years I had growing up with (and away from) Pop, I always made a vow that I would be a better dad to my future son than he was to me. After that, I’d always follow it up either with a “Or I just might screw it all up,” or “Yeah, like that’s ever going to happen to a sap like me!” before continuing whatever I was doing.

So when Bianx spoke of her plan to start a family early once we were married, it was a mix of heavy-duty anxiety and supernova elation. I understood that babies were always a handful to take care of but seeing her excitement with finally being able to start a family of her own brought me on board despite my initial hesitations.

We started by renting a condo unit in Makati, located just outside the famous Central Business District (CBD) and significantly closer to our offices. A friend of ours helped us get a good deal at one of the older buildings in the area, as we moved in shortly after New Year’s Day 2015. Aside from the convenience of being a short walk (or even jeepney ride) away from many commercial establishments and work, it was finally a place we had to ourselves that allowed us to focus on our lives together. We made quick use of many of the gifts we received at the wedding to get ourselves settled in our new place. And realizing the environment was not the best for raising our future son in, we made up our mind to stay there only for the year before moving back in with her folks in Las Piñas to help care for our son after his birth.

But from the start, it was a challenge. She stopped taking her hormone pills soon after the wedding (which she had been taking since her high school years for managing her polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS), and we knew that the contraceptive effects could still last for several weeks after that. Then there was that mean ob-gyne in Makati Medical Center who bared that as my wife was suffering from PCOS, she couldn’t get pregnant unless she lost weight and made dramatic lifestyle changes, which left her feeling miserable and angry. We managed to find a far more sympathetic and caring ob-gyne, holding clinic at University of Perpetual Help DALTA Medical Center back in Las Piñas, and her straightforward yet careful advice would be crucial to the success of the wife’s pregnancy.

For the next few months, we tried to become pregnant. Regularly throughout the months, she would buy testing kits and check the results each time. And disappointingly, each test came back with just one line instead of the hoped-for two. At times, she would get so depressed she would start crying and asking if she was the reason she couldn’t get pregnant. And while I did my best to reassure her, I started having a nagging feeling that maybe the problem was with me. I felt inept, incapable, useless and impotent. But I did my best to cheer her up and we kept on trying, while reading up on as much information as we could on how improve our chances of successfully conceiving our firstborn.

June 12. Independence Day. We were planning to head home to her folk’s place for the weekend and were in the midst of preparing our clothes when she suddenly felt nauseated. On a hunch, she took out her pregnancy testing kit and tried again. Disappointment hit us as we saw the same lonely line across the marker. However, she had left the kit in the bathroom sink as we continued packing and when she returned to the bathroom a few minutes later, she then called me in an urgent tone:

“Babe! Come here!”

In a rather defensive tone, I then replied as I approached her:

“What did I do?!”

She hurriedly showed me the test kit, which showed a faint second line below the dark upper line. At that point, our eyes met and without saying a word, we suspected we had finally done it. We decided to tell only our parents of this and inform more people once we had scheduled a laboratory test and proper examination at a hospital or medical center.

But the following day, while we were going around SM Southmall with her parents, siblings and cousins, Bianx developed severe pain around her side going around her back. We decided to head to the ER as a precaution and after much nagging, managed to request for an ultrasound that confirmed our suspicions. She was indeed pregnant, nearly two months along and were both very delighted by the news.

Further challenges would come further down the road, as pre-natal testing found Bianx had developed gestational diabetes mellitus or GDM (despite the lack of a history of diabetes in her family tree), which meant that aside from lifestyle changes (less sugary foods particularly, and no coffee or smoking) she had to regularly monitor her blood sugar levels and inject herself with insulin daily (leading to a couple of close calls with hypoglycemia). She had also been put under the care of an endocrinologist, who would help monitor her GDM until delivery. Again, the good friend of hers who helped us get our condo offered his spare blood sugar monitoring and insulin injections (as he happened to be a diabetic as well, and which saved us in expenses significantly).

As I was also on the road to recovery from my bouts with hypertension, we had decided to eat healthier and so she started experimenting with cooking her own low-sodium dishes (which we were even able to sell for a limited time, leading to the launching of our online store Love at First Bite). In addition, I began increasing my water intake while cutting back on my beloved soda. This led to noticeable improvements in our health, which spurred us to keep this going for the duration of our stay in Makati.

Going back to the story, I ended up moving into a new account after my old account had started reducing headcount, which put me on edge since I was concerned about being without income for any extended period. And to top it off, the wife and I had gotten round-trip tickets to Bohol province earlier in the year, where we had planned to celebrate our long-overdue honeymoon in late June. While going through every terminal informing the attendants of her pregnancy was a bother, the real scare came during our long tricycle ride to the resort where we ended up traveling on very rough roads that made me fear for the safety of my wife and our unborn child. Aside from that, the honeymoon itself went very well and we enjoyed our time away from the city immensely.

It was also during these early months that I faced what many dreaded and found comical about pregnant women. The cravings.

One morning in Makati, she decided she wanted some pandesal so she sent me out to get some. And not just any pandesal, but the freshly baked piping hot variety from the small bakeries some distance away. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to find it and upon returning to the condo I told her:

“Seriously, do you still expect fresh pandesal at 10 in the morning?!”

Some weeks later, we were at the in-laws in Las Piñas when she started craving for some custard-topped bread. And she made a lot of fuss about not wanting to eat anything else, so I set off. Four bakeries later, I still hadn’t found what she wanted. And when I told her what happened, she did her usual trembling lip before bursting into tears.

Despite this, her cravings tapered off by her second trimester and things returned a lot closer to normal. Now with her pregnancy being more complicated than the usual, she required more frequent checkups including ultrasound scans, all of which cost quite a bit of money. We kept it up with her maintenance insulin and monitored diet (albeit with the occasional cheat day to keep her happy) and so far our son had held on nicely.

In the final trimester of her pregnancy, her ob-gyne had expressed some concern that she wouldn’t be able to give birth normally as her pelvis appeared too small to successfully accommodate our baby’s passage. Fortunately, we had started preparing for such eventualities by saving up enough for the delivery, although we were still worried costs could quickly spiral out of range if further medical procedures were needed.

Early in December, we decided to move out shortly before Christmas and end our lease early at the condo we had rented. With the due date falling on January 5th, she had already started her maternity leave and we decided it was best to be back with her family to prepare for the arrival of our son. Being located much closer to her doctors was a relief, although I still miss the convenience and independence our year in Makati provided.

On her due date, she had her final ultrasound session and the attendant pointed out that her level of amniotic fluid was running low and the baby would have to be delivered soon or serious complications could set in. After consulting with the ob-gyne, we made the difficult yet necessary decision to schedule our son’s delivery by Cesarean section early the following morning, as there were no other available hours for that day. She was confined to a ward that evening, where she complained of both discomfort from the baby’s size and anxiety due to the pending operation. Throughout the night up until she was brought to the operating room at around 4:00 am, her blood pressure had been rising uncharacteristically, lending even more urgency to the situation. Before she was wheeled in, I was made to sign a waiver indicating that I agreed to the operation and any risks involved, including the potential loss of my wife, my son or both of them. As I started to fall asleep in the adjacent bed after having made the long walk back to the ward, the possibility of something going horribly wrong did scare me and I could only hope it would all be okay when I woke up.

A few hours later, a nurse woke me up to inform me that our son was in the nursery while Bianx was in the post-anesthesia recovery room. I hurried down to the nursery, where the curtains had been drawn and I waited for them to be opened. When several minutes passed without anything happening, I knocked on the door of the nursery and asked if I could see my son. After giving them my wife’s details, within a minute or two they pulled back the curtains and I saw the first ever glimpse of my firstborn in the incubator (which was probably a precaution recommended by the doctors given the circumstances he had been delivered into).

Yes, this was the official post I made to announce Baby Ozzy’s arrival that fateful morning.

Although I had seen newborn babies before, it certainly felt different as I stared at him at the incubator for several long minutes before the moment finally sunk in.

“You’re a father now.”

I never thought I would ever be at this point in my life, or ever get to this moment in time as recently as just two years ago. But I was. It happened. And it was the realization that my life could and would never, ever be the same as it was before.

My wife would rejoin me in the ward hours later after the anesthesia had worn off, and although sore from the operation we would soon have the chance to hold our little one.

And to think he celebrated his first birthday earlier this month, after plenty of sleepless nights, empty pockets and myriad moments that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Brandon Austin (or Oz or Ozzy, whichever you prefer) has proven himself to be a very intelligent, energetic and healthy toddler who brightens the lives of those he encounters, most especially his parents and grandparents.

Honestly, there’s so much I’d tell you about our little boy, but more than anything else I’m just happy that he’s here as a part of our young family. And for all the challenges he and the world may pose, seeing that handsome face glow with a smile is always worth it.

Belated Happy Birthday, my son. We love you very much.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/the-austin116-era/feed/0seriouslycanonme_and_ozzy#WeddingMania: A Nuptial Post-Mortemhttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/weddingmania-a-nuptial-post-mortem/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/weddingmania-a-nuptial-post-mortem/#respondTue, 13 Dec 2016 10:00:26 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1878Two years ago, I accomplished a personal goal that I never thought I’d see to fruition.

Yeah, basing on the title it’s obvious this entry is long overdue. After all, not only has it been two years since we tied the knot (oops, spoiler alert!), but our son Austin/Oz/Ozzy (more on him in a future post) is almost a year old by the time this entry launches here. Anyway, I’m straying off topic so here I go.

I was just a few months into my relationship with Bianx when we began talking about what we wanted in a relationship. We both sought serious long-term relationships where kids would be in the picture. We both felt greatly at ease with each others personality quirks. We both felt that we were ready to take the next step toward a life together. So we agreed to get married. And to that end, we set an ambitious date for ourselves: December 13, 2014. Or as the numbers would say, 12/13/14.

We started by talking to her parents about it, and we were met with conflicting reactions. Her mom, being rather skeptical of me, made us explain how we were to sustain ourselves once we tied the knot. And as the wife had warned me, she went on to draw a diagram of sorts about the kind of income we needed to sustain a comfortable lifestyle, to which we responded that we most certainly had plans to put up our own business (which now lives as our online store Love at First Bite). Her dad, on the other hand, while suggesting if we could delay our wedding day to have us better prepare for our future, was a bit teary-eyed, which suggested his mixed emotions at knowing his daughter would finally be having her own happy ending. All that time, we held each others hand so tightly that I swore I was close to breaking every bone in it. Eventually, seeing as we had clearly made our minds (and hearts) up, they gave their consent.

Next up were my parents. And when I first told my dad about it, he actually asked this question:

“Son… Is she pregnant?”

I laughed and assured him she was not pregnant, that we had simply made a decision to begin a new chapter of our lives together, and he agreed to it. Over with my mom and sisters, they took this in a more relaxed manner and gave us tips and advice about the big day and life after it. And our friends? They were excited for both of us. My friends were happy for me because they knew I was finally going to be with that person who made my life worth it, while her friends were happy for her because they said that she finally met her match (or was it the other way around?).

So then we started dreaming. How about a wrestling-themed wedding, where we enter to our own music and be wed by a judge in a referee’s attire inside the squared circle? While we both dreamed that, her folks weren’t exactly keen on the idea and wanted something closer to an”orthodox” wedding.

Having gone to wedding expos and receiving tons of advice from everyone on preparing the perfect event, in the end we decided to opt for a simple civil wedding. First, this would keep costs down since church weddings often have additional fees that add up to the over-all bill. Also, since I came from a Catholic background and she was raised as a born-again Christian, a civil wedding ensured that neither side was favored or otherwise, avoiding any potential “hard feelings”.

Next, we relied on our circles of friends and family to provide the needed services for the event. They provided key services such as photography & video services, makeup, catering and presents for the guests. We got most of these at very good rates, and we’re happy to recommend them in case you’re interested. For the wedding gown, her aunt sent her some lovely fabric, which was then made into the dress of the evening.

The months before the wedding descended into a maddening process of preparation, as we worked out each requirement as best as we could between work hours. Securing and paying our friends who provided the services? Check. Getting the Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) ready? Check. Getting that gown ready? Check. Pre-nuptial photo shoot and Save the Date video? CHECK.

Wedding day started early with the house abuzz with preparation, as everyone started getting ready to look their best. Although we had everything planned out as best as we could, it still felt strange and new. There wouldn’t be any turning back, no going back to the old ways, no “restore” button in Windows parlance. This would be a life-defining moment and we were taking the plunge.

Minutes to midnight… Err, matrimony. Because 12/13/14.

6:00 PM. Lavides Garden Venue, BF Resort Village, Las Piñas City. Riding a car one of her friends had loaned, we made our way to the venue. We were greeted by friends and family who were waiting for us, and we soon made our way in. Despite the drizzle that evening, the ceremony was a success and everyone had fun at the reception that followed. We enjoyed heartwarming messages from our loved ones throughout the wedding, and after that we even ended up having an after-party at Mystic Brew across the street.

As we settled in to go to bed after a long and exhausting day, it finally dawned on me. We could sleep together in the same bed and it wouldn’t be anyone’s business. That and I now had a partner for life, someone who I could share sunsets and sunrises with. And I hope I somehow do the same for her too.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/weddingmania-a-nuptial-post-mortem/feed/0seriouslycanon10960328_10205804741021414_9016010764027231605_oLosing Ingcong Ben, Gaining Invaluable Lessonshttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/losing-ingcong-ben-gaining-invaluable-lessons/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/losing-ingcong-ben-gaining-invaluable-lessons/#respondTue, 11 Feb 2014 04:00:35 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1731A year ago today, I lost my maternal grandfather (Ingcong Ben Manaloto) to throat cancer and its complications. I had known him as a man strong on traditional values (always insisting I find myself a girlfriend before he died), a man who put himself through college eventually graduating with an Accounting degree from Far Eastern University in Manila, a man who survived World War II eating nothing but kangkong (according to one of his many stories), an enterprising business person who ran a lucrative Caltex station in San Fernando, Pampanga and owned several huge tracts of land in the area, and as a man known for his unconventional methods to save a few pesos when needed (such as “extending” a can of pork-and-beans by adding water and onions). And while I butted heads with him on many of his viewpoints, I maintained a soft spot for him. Each Christmas Eve for the past few years, me and the family would visit him for the traditional Noche Buena dinner, which he especially enjoyed since all of his children had grown up and moved away in the years before that. And we made it a point to squeeze in occasional visits when we could, to make sure he was okay. He had been a presence in my life for over three decades, and his passing left an unexplained void that I have struggled to fill to this day.

The whole ordeal started back in September 2012, when I was contacted by my Tita Carol (one of his daughters) that he had reported difficulties swallowing and he was only able to take in liquids. Despite this, he refused to go to the hospital and according to one of his doctors, he suspected a growth in his throat was the cause, which he wanted to have verified with a biopsy. Since my aunt was in England at the time and would only be able to return after some weeks, she asked me to stay with him in the hospital for the coming week (which I managed to file leave from work for) and together with my sister Mitzi, we drove to his house in Pampanga and managed to convince him to be admitted to the hospital for the meantime. I would stay behind with my grandfather and keep him company in his room while my sister returned to Manila to handle matters at home.

The following morning, I spoke with his doctor who told me he suspected the growth was a cancerous tumor in an advanced stage of growth. He informed me that he wanted a biopsy to be sure of the diagnosis, and he shared the rather grim prospect that Ingcong Ben’s advanced age, further weakened by being unable to eat properly, would make him unable to tolerate the standard treatments of chemotherapy and radiation. We made the agreement to not reveal to my grandfather anything about having cancer, as his already pessimistic and somewhat bitter outlook in life would make him even more uncooperative with the doctors at this stage. He was later wheeled into the operating room to get a sample of the tumor in his throat, and after a few days the biopsy results would become available.

In the meantime, as Ingcong Ben’s companion, it left me with several major tasks I never anticipated. First, I became an unofficial interpreter / mediator for my grandfather and the medical staff, since I was there to communicate with him in the vernacular (Kapampangan, particularly) and to explain the various procedures they were performing on him. I also became the link between his doctors and the family, since I communicated daily updates on his condition. And on top of that, I entertained his visitors who came to wish him well and even ran errands inside and outside the hospital once in a while.

But the most stressful part of my stay in the hospital was when the nurses would come in during the night and early morning to check his vital signs such as his blood pressure, temperature and the like. While I did understand their reasons for doing so, it caused me to lose sleep leaving me to doze off during the surprisingly less busy daytime.

With boredom as a constant companion, I made use of the TV in the room a lot as well as stayed online using my smartphone. And when Ingcong Ben had visitors, I took those opportunities to step out of the room and change my scenery a bit. I also ended up eating mostly burgers (from the nearby Burger Machine stand) or even barbecue and liempo (from the Chic-Boy restaurant across the street), since I could not travel far to get food for myself.

After a few days, the diagnosis was in. He indeed had malignant throat cancer, which was at a highly advanced stage. And with his doctor expressing concern that he could not tolerate the more effective chemotherapy, he mentioned that they would go for radiation therapy as the next option; however, he stressed that this form of cancer was less responsive to such therapy and it was a possibility that his cancer had become terminal by that point, meaning that he would have just months to live.

After consulting with Tita Carol and Mum over the phone, the decision was made to proceed with the radiation treatment as a last resort. He would then be transferred to another hospital, which had the only radiation treatment center in the entire Central Luzon region. By this time, I was back at work and Mitzi had agreed to take my place in checking on Ingcong Ben every few days (which meant her travelling by bus to Pampanga on most days) until my aunt had arrived from England.

The last time I saw my grandfather alive was at the second hospital he was staying in, which was just a few weeks before Christmas 2012. He hardly gained any weight, although he returned to his usual jovial mood upon seeing me, my sisters and my niece and nephew. He still had difficulty communicating with us, despite undergoing the radiation therapy. We managed to pose for a picture with him, which is shown here.

So when we received word from Mum in the early morning hours of February 11, 2013 about Ingcong Ben’s passing, we made quick preparations for the upcoming wake and cremation. This time, I was asked to watch over his remains during the week-long wake, for which I quickly filed leave from work yet again. My role was to entertain the many relatives and friends who would pay their last respects in the coming days, which mostly happened during the day into the evening hours. Tito Jon, Ingcong Ben’s eldest son, kept me company each night I slept in the family room of the funeral parlor, then would head home in the morning before returning again in the evenings.

The cremation was scheduled for February 18, 2013, with a mass held in the morning before a short procession to the crematorium for the final handling of my grandfather’s remains. The cremation was completed by mid-afternoon, with Ingcong Ben’s ashes housed in a white marble urn. These would finally be placed at the family plot in the local cemetery on his 90th birthday, which would have been March 31, 2013. His ashes would then be united with the remains of his mother, siblings and infant son.

This was our first Christmas without him, and it felt different. I had come to realize that a lot of what he said and done in the years before had wisdom behind them, and I felt thankful for that. I may not have always agreed with him, but I still learned much from him and it was now time I put these into practice.

And with that, I bid a final farewell to my grandfather. Rest in peace, Ingcong Ben. And thank you.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/losing-ingcong-ben-gaining-invaluable-lessons/feed/0seriouslycanonMy maternal grandfather "Ingcong Ben" Manaloto lies in the hospital bed flanked (left to right) by my nephew Mikhail, my sister Mitzi, my aunt Tita Carol, me and my sister Fran. He was undergoing radiation treatment during this time.It’s Raining Cats and Dogs… And Pumpkinheadshttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/its-raining-cats-and-dogs-and-pumpkinheads/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/its-raining-cats-and-dogs-and-pumpkinheads/#respondWed, 07 Aug 2013 16:01:04 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1560This post was originally written on August 25, 2012. However, it was not published as intended due to ongoing issues at the time. This entry has been published in its original form (with some minor revisions for accuracy) to celebrate the fist anniversary of the first-ever Smashing Pumpkins concert held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines. Enjoy, cheers!

* * * * *

Much has happened since my last entry that I am waiting to peel off on. Sadly, the severe writing block that has hampered my usual output of opinionated and oddly passionate prose has continued to plague me and I have struggled to get back on track to revive my dormant writing bug. But me being me, I have no plans to stay down forever.

The rainy season is in full swing, and although the sun has been more visible than usual, this was not the case just two weeks ago. Despite Typhoon Haikui missing the country entirely making landfall in eastern China, it intensified the seasonal East Asian (southwest) monsoon which brought heavily-laden rain clouds to much of Metro Manila, Central and Southern Luzon. Rain began falling nearly non-stop from August 6-8, which caused severe flooding in the affected areas and brought back traumatic memories of Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) record-breaking deluge over the same regions three years earlier. Life in much of the country’s largest metropolitan area slowed to a crawl as water began to drown property and lives. The rains had gotten so bad that the national and local government units cancelled classes in most schools and work for government and private businesses.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the business process outsourcing (BPO) or call-center industry having clients and customers from other regions of the world, these companies requested for an exemption to allow daily operations to continue as normal. The government then countered that they would grant the exceptions, only if the safety of their employees could be guaranteed and that they be given just compensation for their effort to report to work under the said circumstances.

Although I was working for one of these companies, by a fortunate stroke of luck I had filed leave on one of the days the deluge peaked followed by my usual two days of rest. So while I had the fortune of being stuck in the safety of home, many others ended up camping out at the office unable to head home. Worse still for others, their own homes became a trap with the rising floodwater surrounding them. So each day, I found myself glued to the television and Internet for updates on the ongoing disaster, while keeping in touch with some of my closest contacts on their respective situations. While nine casualties were confirmed, it was a far cry from the 464 left dead in Ondoy’s wake and thankfully, no one I knew was among the victims.

So how was it I was able to sit out the worst of the storm in the safety of my home? This actually began several weeks before, when The Smashing Pumpkins announced their first-ever live performance in the Philippines, to be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on August 7. Although I had known of the Smashing Pumpkins since their rise to stardom in the 1990s, I only started seriously following their music once I had my iPod (Vesper) and got the chance to listen to their greatest hits. After missing chances to watch bands such as Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, and Vertical Horizon among others perform here live, I made up my mind not to miss seeing and hearing this great band in the flesh.

So about two weeks earlier, I managed to get my ticket and filed my leave to be able to attend the said event. While we were several people who planned to attend the event, unforeseen circumstances eventually whittled the group down to me and my teammate Morris.

And then, the rains came threatening to force a cancellation of the concert. After receiving reports about the severity of the weather, the band’s lead vocalist Billy Corgan announced on Twitter that the concert would be moved to the following day, August 8, to allow weather conditions to improve and give more fans a chance to attend. My first reaction was that of approval and relief, as it was a huge gesture for the band to have to adjust their schedule for those who planned to attend.

Morris and I met up at the Araneta Coliseum, where we quickly proceeded to find our seats. As misfortune would have it, I forgot to bring enough cash to buy band shirts and the standing policy was that we could not leave the venue and come back later. On the bright side, my teammate tipped me off about the venue being much more lenient with bringing in cameras, so I borrowed my sister’s high-quality digital camera for the event. I also ended up meeting one of my former officemates and one of my current bosses at the venue, which was a testament to the continued popularity of the band.

Despite the inclement weather that left many areas of Metro Manila flooded, the band known as The Smashing Pumpkins put on a spectacular show in their first live appearance in the Philippines. Yes, the high has not yet fully worn off.

When the concert began, people went wild seeing the Smashing Pumpkins live for the first time and gazed in awe at the ball-shaped projection screen showing images related to the songs. The band started off by running through the entire Oceania album, which was their latest release under their massive Teargarden by Kaleidyscope project. While many fans were appreciative of the sound of the new album and gave applause after each song, a greater number expressed their interest in hearing their earlier hits as shown by chanting “More! More!” during the brief intermission. Those present would not be disappointed, as classics such as “Tonight, Tonight”, “1979”, “Bullet With Butterfly Wings”, “Luna”, “X.Y.U.” and many more. All in all, they performed a total of 29 songs, far longer than any setlist in their earlier stops. And toward the end of the concert, fans even had the chance to get the drumsticks and guitar picks used at the concert. All throughout the event, Billy Corgan and the band continually thanked those who made it to the event and promised a return in the future for those who weren’t able to make it (an apparent reference to the large number of tickets sold despite the somewhat lower-than-expected turnout, which in turn was caused by the heavy rains).

The following day, the band shared their gratitude on Twitter for the strong turnout despite the inclement weather, again expressing their intent to hold another concert here in the future. And as of this post, the high I experienced hearing and seeing one of my favorite alternative rock bands perform has not yet fully subsided and I consider the event a highlight of the year.

The floods have mostly subsided in the affected areas, but we are only headed towards the peak of the rainy season with two tropical cyclones slamming into northern Luzon since the concert. And while the recovery (and much of normal life) continues, the Smashing Pumpkins’ own turbulent history and continued success are reminders of the ups and downs that remain constants in our lives like the storms that ravage the country annually. But as with Ondoy three years ago, it is with typical Filipino humor and tenacity that we weather it and become stronger afterward.

*****

My elder sister Mitzi has always had a soft spot for animals. So much so, in fact, that she has switched to a pesco-vegetarian diet in support of animal rights. In short, she gave up eating all meat in her diet except for seafood such as fish and shellfish. And as I mentioned before, we rescued a Chihuahua and a turtle from their difficult situations.

Right before the torrential rains, my elder sister Mitzi started to take a more proactive stance towards helping animals when she rescued a native dog named Chessie who had been the victim of a hit-and-run near our home. She was brought to PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society) and assessed to have serious leg injuries. Rather than putting the dog “to sleep”, she decided to care for Chessie until she was well enough to undergo an operation on her leg. As of this writing, we are awaiting further word on Chessie’s condition after her recent operation.

Since then, we have provided foster care for another dog (Matty, a Labrador-native mix) and several cats (Muning and her daughter Andy, as well as another kitten named Kitteh) and we are currently offering them for adoption. If you are interested in adopting any of these wonderful animals or would like to know more about them, please send me a message on my Facebook account or post a comment here.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2013/08/08/its-raining-cats-and-dogs-and-pumpkinheads/feed/0seriouslycanonWhen it rains, it pours.Absolutely (Story of a Girl) Part 3 a.k.a. Third Time’s the Charmhttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/absolutely-story-of-a-girl-part-3-a-k-a-third-times-the-charm/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/absolutely-story-of-a-girl-part-3-a-k-a-third-times-the-charm/#commentsMon, 22 Jul 2013 12:00:10 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1652More than nine months after my last entry, I began to stir. My eyelids began to twitch. My fingers began to move. My breathing changed and became more regular, more consistent. And then, my eyes opened to a blur that gradually cleared up.

I awoke from my long coma and the first thing I saw was… Wait, I need to get the back-story straightened out first.

Almost five years ago, after breaking up with my on-and-off ex, I considered that my last best chance to have a meaningful romantic relationship. Good thing the universe surprised me by proving me wrong with her.

Before my maternal grandfather Ingcong Ben died earlier this year (more on that in a future post), I recall that in his last years he had always wanted me to have a girlfriend. He was of the traditional thinking that a proper man would never be complete without a proper woman in his life, and he was naturally crazy for grandchildren and great-grandchildren. While I would dismiss it as mere ranting and an odd sort of impatience, he would ask that question over and over each time we were together. At one point (having a reputation for being the ladies’ man since his younger years), he tried setting me up with a saleslady he met at SM City Pampanga by introducing me to her while taking a stroll with him one afternoon. Feeling embarrassed and shocked by his gesture, I apologized to the woman and grabbed Ingcong before continuing our way. I made it a point to stress to him that I was not going to find a girlfriend in such a way, and that if the universe would conspire to leave me in my solo pilot state, I would do my best to be contented with it.

It had been nearly five long years since my last relationship ended after six on-and-off years (click HERE for the full story) and despite my struggles on many days, I was actually getting by fine as a single guy. I enjoyed the new-found freedom I had with no romantic partner to always bug me about when I was coming home or where I actually was. And with each day, week, month, and even year that passed, I somehow felt I had accomplished more than the last and I was actually ready to spend the rest of my days in solitude if meant to. I had even survived a potential “one who got away” scenario despite my deep disappointment and managed to keep going as I had for the past years.

And then I met this girl. Well, before I met her, I actually met her friend Annie who happened to be a member of some community page on Facebook, who eventually introduced me to Bianx (her real name being Bianca Marie Teodoro). We got along very well due to our love for pro-wrestling (particularly WWE and TNA) and sports such as basketball, our wide knowledge and opinionated view of historical and current events, our strong humanistic ideals, and our beliefs which ran contrary to our upbringing (with Bianx being an atheist in a born-again Christian family and I being an agnostic theist in a Roman Catholic family).

We were soon regular chatmates on Facebook and we talked about all and sundry almost everyday. And because she was celebrating a personal milestone and we had yet to meet in person after two-plus months of knowing each other, I proposed to meet up with her one weekend and have a one-day road trip to Pampanga so that she could try the food in my neck of the woods. She agreed and on a Saturday in late April, we met for the first time at the Five Star bus terminal along EDSA to take a bus to Pampanga. Our first stop was Robinson’s Starmills in San Fernando City, where she enjoyed the unique Kabigting’s Halo-Halo (due to its usage of carabao’s milk and pastillas made from the same as toppings). We then headed to Aling Lucing’s in Angeles City, where by a stroke of misfortune, they had run out of their famous sisig forcing a change of plans. I took her to my favorite haunt Didi’s Pizza nearby, where we had some tasty homemade pizza and sisig. We then headed back to town and I took her to Susie’s Cuisine, where she got plenty of treats for her family and friends. We then met up with my dad over at the nearby McDonald’s, where he had offered to bring some of his manggaditas (tarts filled with fresh mango jam) since the stores nearby had run out. We dropped by Jun-Jun’s Barbecue and Bibingka in San Fernando as a last stop, and she immensely enjoyed the special sauce created for their pork and chicken barbecue, before heading home.

We met again a couple of weeks later at a coffee house when she aired her frustration with some recent issues that had arisen, and she greatly appreciated the time I offered so that we could talk. But it was a simple SMS sent during my stay with the family at a beach in Dasol, Pangasinan that served as a catalyst for what would happen next, as I simply told her:

“I am having a great time here at the beach. I wish you were here to see it. I miss you.”

So, she stated, it made her giddy with excitement to the point that she was “squealing like a schoolgirl”. I felt a unique closeness to her that I never had with almost anyone before, but I was hesitant to act on it and felt it was best to leave it as a friendship for the meantime.

The following weekend, we were chatting on Facebook as usual, when she popped this message:

“I don’t quite actually know how to put it but here goes… we’re getting to know each other and all, but are we doing it as just friends or are we shooting for something else? I know you’re a sweet person so this is kinda vague for me. I’m still in the getting-over-someone stage and at the same time I think you’re a really great guy and I love spending time with you, but I’m not sure how this question would change things, you know. Like the other day, when I posted the Ipagpatawad Mo lyrics. One of the people we know (I’m not going to say who) asked me if we were dating kasi he/she saw our conversation. I answered, “I don’t know.””

I told her that we were in a platonic relationship at the moment albeit with a special closeness, and then she also went on to say this:

“I mean, yes, we really aren’t “quite there yet”. But we basically admitted to each other that maybe we’re almost there. Otherwise we probably won’t consider talking about it. I probably would have shrugged it off if it’s just pure friendship. Here’s the supposed reserved bluntness. I don’t think we are “friends” per se. I mean of course we are, but we have to admit there’s more to it than that. And I’m not just saying it because I’m sad, or that I feel insecure or something. I don’t know. I hate saying I don’t know. We are dating, as far as I can tell. We are getting to know each other, in that direction. Correct me if I’m wrong but we sort-of “reserved” ourselves for each other today.”

“I’m not saying we should recognize each other as boyfriend-girlfriend, but at the very least… man, this is not platonic. Or maybe it’s just me… in which case I will be ready to bury my face in the ground later”

I then admitted that with the special closeness we had, we had to make sure to know each other before we acted on whatever we felt. She then replied with this:

“That’s fair. But here’s a rebuttal. I actually like you. Look I’m not saying we should be an official couple. All I’m saying is.. why the hell are we talking about this if it’s nothing?”

So we started opening up about our pet peeves, our fears, our hopes, our dreams and what-have-you. And we then made plans for our first romantic date ever the following Friday, where we would spend the evening over at Glorietta shopping mall.

The evening started out nicely with a dinner at Burger King, and after going around the mall for a bit we ended up at her favorite haunt Chocolate Fire Cafe in neighboring Salcedo Village. She mentioned that she loved the cafe for two reasons: Their wonderful chocolate-based items and that she could torture herself seeing happy couples in the shop every time. We had agreed to behave like a couple to see how things would be like, and we started out holding hands, hugging and even kissing at various points. It was such an enjoyable evening that by the time we got to the cafe and got comfortable on the couch after we ordered our drinks, we started making out like crazy. At one point, a patron passed on a note to Bianx before leaving, wherein she expressed her disapproval of our overt PDA (Public Display of Affection). We then decided to call it a night, and after a walk to Ayala Avenue where we exchanged tender kisses in between, I helped her board a cab home and rode the next available bus. Ironically, I forgot I had to cross the street to take the right bus home and ended up going in the opposite direction. I got down at the corner of Taft Avenue and Buendia (near the LRT Gil Puyat station) and took a bus the right way home.

Just a few days later, I asked her to be at Market! Market! early the next morning where I was assigned to the night shift due to recent changes at the office. I was with my friend J-Mee and I let her in on my plan to make our relationship official. When Bianx showed up, I told her we were now an official couple. It was May 27, 2013, and nearly five long years after I had decided to resign myself to my version of solitary confinement, I was freed from this internal prison by a woman I never expected to meet in my travels. And while my long solo pilot flight may have ended in a rather whirlwind fashion, I can say that finally I know what the rest of my life should and will look like.

I have had the privilege of meeting her family and friends in the weeks since, and they have shown a largely overwhelming approval of our relationship. I am now working to get her to meet my people from my side of the fence, after receiving great reception from my sisters, niece, nephew and a few of my friends. But whatever happens, whatever reception she gets, whatever storms life chooses to blow our way, I can finally say that I have found the one that I can share my sunsets with.

With her being a big fan of sunrises, however, I can say in all fairness that a new day has indeed dawned for us. The adage stating that “Anything worth it will never be easy” has never rung so true.

To the one who now holds my heart, thank you for loving me as no other girl has before. I love you so much, and I promise to be the best and only partner you’ll ever have and need.

And so, for only the second time ever, I’ll post something from YouTube as my way of putting a lid on my blog entry. This scene from the movie Fools Rush In (1997, starring Matthey Perry and Salma Hayek) simply says it all. Cheers!

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/absolutely-story-of-a-girl-part-3-a-k-a-third-times-the-charm/feed/2seriouslycanonAlmost five years ago, after breaking up with my on-and-off ex, I considered that my last best chance to have a meaningful romantic relationship. Good thing the universe surprised me my proving me wrong with her.The Return of Martial Law: Government Censorship in the Web 2.0 Erahttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/the-return-of-martial-law-government-censorship-in-the-web-2-0-era/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/the-return-of-martial-law-government-censorship-in-the-web-2-0-era/#respondTue, 02 Oct 2012 16:00:30 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1574A foul stench awoke me from my near four-month coma in the blog-o-verse, the kind that stays in your mouth and mind, the kind that hangs around you like a shadow that you can’t shake. It was a stench I hoped never to torture

Earlier this year, members from both houses of the US Congress attempted to pass the equally controversial SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act, for the Senate) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act, for the Lower House) and received the same backlash from many sectors not just locally, but even around the world. Eventually, both bills were pulled in light of the increasing criticism and they have been shelved for the meantime.

Demonstrators protest the controversial Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, especially for its clause providing stiff penalties for libel. Sadly, the Supreme Court has postponed hearings on the law for next week, leaving the law to take effect on October 3rd as scheduled.

And just days ago, the highly controversial Cybercrime Prevention Act (which can be read in full by clicking HERE) was passed into law by President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, after breezing through the Upper House of Congress (Senate). The law, while aimed to address issues of cybercrimes such as cyber-bullying, cybersex, child pornography, data theft, piracy and even libel, has garnered negative attention from many sectors for its vague definitions (especially the libel and piracy clauses) and repressive punishments for each offense.

As if passing such a controversial law was not bad enough, add to this the fact that more important legislation such as the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill had yet to be voted upon and has laid on the wayside for some time now.

So what has caused the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 to sow anger and fear among the Internet-using populace, you may ask. Well, one can refer to the article published on GMA Network’s site, which makes use of information from InterAksyon.com, ABS-CBN, ANC and GMA-7 among others. You may click HERE for the full article.

To sum it up, you can go to jail for up to 12 years and pay an exorbitant P1,000,000 fine say, for posting a meme making fun of Senator Tito Sotto on Facebook. And to boot, anyone who shares your photo or even likes it can be imprisoned and fined as well. And as Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III (the lone “NO” vote in the Senate) said, even Mark Zuckerberg himself could be held liable since due to the vague nature of the libel clause, it covers all parties with any degree of involvement on the meme I mentioned as an example.

Senator Tito Sotto, after being subjected to relentless criticism over information he plagiarized from bloggers in his anti-RH Bill arguments in the Senate, has come out and admitted that he was one of those who inserted the libel clause into the law at the last minute, stating that it was meant to address cyber-bullying. Somehow, the idea that he inserted this to try and silence his growing number of critics is not as far-fetched as it may seem… And very scary, since just about anyone can use that to exact vengeance at anyone who they feel has slighted them.

What is disturbing is that a country known for its peaceful revolts against bad leaders has suddenly assumed a mantle of censorship like that of the authoritarian regimes in China, Iran and even North Korea. This is in direct contrast to a declaration by the United Nations regarding Internet freedom as a basic human right, which can be read by clicking HERE.

And with the law set to take effect by midnight of today, it looks like we are going to be in for a second era of state-sponsored censorship since we gained our independence. And unless something happens soon, I may have to give up my blog and social media accounts for good. But it isn’t to say I will take this quietly. and I hope that the good fight for our rights will continue until the draconian aspects of this law are struck down as unconstitutional. And so I leave you all with Article 3, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution to remind us of our right to freedom of expression:

“No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Until next time, if that day comes around.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/the-return-of-martial-law-government-censorship-in-the-web-2-0-era/feed/0seriouslycanonFarewell, freedom of expression.Fractal Cracks [Hitting the Ground Running]https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/fractal-cracks-hitting-the-ground-running/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/fractal-cracks-hitting-the-ground-running/#respondSat, 16 Jun 2012 22:00:40 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1363In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned the growing popularity of running as a form of exercise for many Filipinos. Key reasons include the following:

You only need a minimum of equipment; a pair of good running shoes, comfortable clothing and probably a water bottle to hydrate yourself during the session should suffice. Some like to up the ante with an iPod full of their favorite exercise music, and special portable apps and devices to watch their progress and body functions.

You can plot your own course on nearby roads, or even take part in the increasing number of running events within and outside Metro Manila.

As a form of cardiovascular exercise, it is a great way to build up endurance and serves as a stepping stone to more advanced forms of exercise. It also burns a great deal of calories, if plotted correctly.

It is less prone to injuries than many other forms of exercise, since it exploits our natural bipedal motion.

It is one of the first exercises we ever learn in life.

In the last event I attended (The St. Luke’s Eye Run), I managed to improve match my old five-kilometer time in the six-kilometer group (meaning I ran faster). Hope does exist indeed.

However, concerns have grown over the increasing costs of running events. For instance, the recently concluded Condura Skyway Marathon cost me P950 to join the 10-kilometer run (which admittedly gave out cool medals in turn), while most events cost about a quarter to half that on equally good roads. And while this has been more the exception than the rule, there is a strong possibility that event organizers will raise registration fees to the point that it will become prohibitive (or at the very least discouraging) for people seeking to get fit on a tight budget. This will then force runners to pick their events and potentially demoralize participants from running.

So while I understand that organizers need to cover their expenses for such events and seek to make a profit, they ought to consider keeping the registration fees reasonable enough for most participants as this can actually mean better profits and a more solid reputation among the growing community of runners in the country. The Milo National Marathon is proof of that, and if their standing among the community is good enough, there is no reason both the organizers and participants can help each other in a win-win situation.

Considering that heart disease and diabetes are among the top killers of the country’s population, it is time that a run for better health and well-being get past the starting blocks and make that crucial march to the finish line.

*****

Speaking of running, since attending the Greenhills Eco Run in November, I have chalked up three more running events to my name as follows:

The 35th Milo National Marathon in December. This is the country’s longest running (and perhaps best known) running event, due to national recognition of the Milo brand (a chocolate malt drink made by global food giant Nestlé). As such, it has always garnered a strong following and simultaneous events have been held in areas within and outside of Metro Manila. I signed up for the five-kilometer running event and I finished just half a minute ahead of my earlier time in the Greenhills run. My main disappointment with the event was the sheer number of participants resulting in high pedestrian traffic, which prevented me from pushing myself much. I did get a singlet, as well as energy drinks, water and a banana.

The 2012 Condura Skyway Marathon on February 5th. While being the most expensive run I signed up for so far, I was drawn to the event by a chance to run along the length of the Metro Manila Skyway (which is normally off-limits to pedestrians). To test my mettle, I signed up for the ten-kilometer run and while even more exhausting than my earlier runs, was made fun by the cool weather and the sun rising over the scenic Laguna de Bay (Lake of Laguna). I got myself a singlet, a bottle each of energy drink and water, a poster promoting the preservation of mangrove trees and even a medal. My officemate Mike B. managed to survive the 42-kilometer marathon to cop an even bigger medal in the competition.

The Discovery Vertical Run on February 12th. This was held at the McKinley Hill outside Bonifacio Global City. While the event is noted for its ten-kilometer vertical run (nine kilometers on surface streets followed by one kilometer of running up and down stairs), I stuck with the five kilometer run instead. I did experience breathing problems which killed my progress, but I managed to finish the run close to my earlier times and I got prizes such as the usual singlet, a Discovery Channel shirt, a ballpen and photos with a running Chihuahua. Yes, that is not a typo.

The St. Luke’s Eye Run on March 11th. This was held in Bonifacio Global City, in the streets surrounding and near St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City. In what would be perhaps my single most significant run yet, I managed to match my old five-kilometer time of 48 minutes within the six-kilometer run. According to my calculations, it meant I ran the five kilometers in just over 40 minutes.

And during those times, I managed to put in some practice runs after work with my mates Joeven and Mike D. (yeah, I run with two Michaels). Despite looking and feeling like a dog put through non-stop rescue missions, I did enjoy the runs to some degree and I actually experienced the euphoria that experienced runners have spoken of.

And oddly enough, I saw some benefits sooner than I had expected. My notorious paunch (or belly, if you prefer), shrunk much as shown by my shirts fitting better in the past week or so. And with my usual habit of going around the house with only a pair of shorts on, my smaller abdomen was noticed by everyone at home.

Considering my concerns over my slowing metabolism and its implications on my health, I was amazed by the gains I had made and so have resolved to extend my foray into running. I won’t be breaking any records soon, but I may be gaining something more valuable in the process.

And that will be sweeter than any medal or trophy the world can give me.

*****

With the recent chaos at work and home, my attendance at running events has taken a serious hit and I have not attended one since the Eye Run back in March. Mapping out a suitable route has been a challenge so far, but I intend to pick up where I left off.

Oh, and knowing I had the proper mid-foot strike technique while running all along helps.

*****

The recent bout between Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao and Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley ended in much controversy when the American was declared the winner via split decision. Many fans and observers expressed largely negative emotions about the outcome, ranging from shock (as shown when his mother Dionisia Pacquiao fainted upon hearing the verdict) to utter disgust and dismay at the judges’ decision, all the way to anger among those who felt the Filipino pugilist had clearly out-performed his opponent. Even Bob Arum himself, the top banana of Top Rank Promotions, could not contain his disappointment with the decision, stating that the reputation of boxing had taken a serious hit with the decision and he was determined to have the judges investigated. And with the Associated Press count showing Pacquiao throwing and accurately landing a significant number of punches more than Bradley, this has solidified the case for many who feel that the Filipino should have kept the welterweight title in his corner after his performance.

Now going to the decision, I cannot formulate a definitive opinion on that since I was only able to catch the first round (where Pacquiao seemed hesitant and lacking in aggression) on delayed telecast before I had to go to work. I would certainly welcome an opportunity to watch the bout from opening to last bell. But I certainly am concerned that the decision has gotten the American’s reign as welterweight champion on bad footing. And while I welcome a rematch to help address the question once and for all, there is concern that it may finally be time for the congressman of Sarangani province to hang up the gloves for good and focus on his many other interests in the country. It is a brutal sport, where people have actually died or had their lives changed forever.

But most surprisingly Pacquiao’s mother, who had long been trying to convince her son to retire from the sport, is now demanding that a rematch be set so that Manny has a chance to exact his revenge and take back the title now around Bradley’s waist. Talk about the mom making some real noise here.

As for corruption and greed in the sport, that is nothing new at all. For years professional boxing has been mired in controversy as millions of dollars are usually at stake for each big-name event and the question of where such huge amounts go is something that has long mystified experts. And with documented cases of corrupt combatants and officials fixing fights in the past, who can indeed say if the sport has truly shed its seedy reputation? So the judges throwing the decision Bradley’s way is not so unlikely after all. And understandably, as many point out, it should be investigated. But I do doubt that this alone will cause real damage to the sport, since boxing remains popular even though mixed martial arts promotions like Dana White’s UFC continue to grow in followers each day.

So while displeasure with the decision is understandable, it is not the end of the world. Should Pacquiao decide to pursue the rematch, he will still carry the hopes of millions of fans worldwide with him along the way. But if he decides it is time to retire, I will respect that decision as well. After all, he has way too much going for him as he has his duties as congressman and even has various businesses and investments in his name. And remaining as gracious as he could in his unpopular defeat, the Filipino pugilist has shown the world that winners are not always the ones with the gold on their bodies.

*****

After seeing my Mum’s posts on Facebook about her watching matches of the recently concluded French Open as well as her divided support for the NBA’s Western Conference Finalists the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, I have come to realize that I have more in common with my parents than I thought: A passionate love of sports.

Having played tennis, pocket billiards and basketball for years, Pop was always ready to share his opinions on his favorite sports and I could count on intense dialogue on those matters. He was also a follower of boxing, and his outspoken opinion on the controversial George Foreman-Axel Schulz bout in 1995 made me appreciate the sport despite my dislike for violence.

Mum, however, was more of a movie buff and I would usually find her in the room watching her favorite films on HBO and Cinemax. But when she started mentioning her admiration of Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic with gusto as well as her knowledge of the sport, I learned then and there that she loved her sports too.

Congratulations are in order for Maria Sharapova of Russia and Rafael Nadal of Spain for winning their 2012 French Open singles division titles, by the way. They just proved why they are among the top ranked players in the world now. And though Rafa did it at the expense of my Mum’s hero, I bet that it will not be the last we hear of the World No. 1.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/fractal-cracks-hitting-the-ground-running/feed/0seriouslycanonHow to run like a pinhead...Fit To A Tee: Gone Gaga Over Golfhttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/fit-to-a-tee-gone-gaga-over-golf/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/fit-to-a-tee-gone-gaga-over-golf/#commentsFri, 08 Jun 2012 22:00:41 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1361Before I became enamored with basketball and pocket billiards, there was one sport that managed to catch my fancy. And while it was sport with its own rich history, it has gained notoriety as being dreadfully boring and an opportunity for evil personalities to meet over details of their own illicit activities.

Yes, folks. I am talking about the “gentleman’s game” of golf. And despite years of shaking heads and occasional quips about my love for an older man’s game, I still find it an interesting sport for several reasons:

Strategy. Each hole in a golf course is different and depending on both the player’s skills and conditions on the course, there are many ways to complete the hole in the required number of strokes.

No outstanding physical attributes required. In golf, height is an almost negligible advantage and the main skills required to excel in the game are consistency and the ability to play well in almost any situation.

Beauty of the golf course. Over the years, golf courses have been designed to both show the natural beauty of their surroundings and each tournament I was able to watch on late Friday evenings was proof of that.

Since golf equipment was (and remains) expensive, I ended up using my late uncle’s golf clubs and golf balls and played golf at our ancestral home. I was lucky since we had a nice large garden covered in carabao grass and another uncle of mine built a chipping green (complete with a mini bunker or sand trap) for his own use.

My Tito Alex took up golf in the years after his interest in basketball had waned, and it was through him I learned the basics of the game. At one point, he took me to the Binictican Valley Golf & Country Club in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and played a few holes with him and his friends (where not surprisingly I did poorly) and even met local professional Mario Manubay. Later on, he took me to a driving range in Manila, where I was particularly hard on myself after I could not strike the balls cleanly off the tee. Despite this, my interest in the game stayed, and I was soon after the likes of Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Nick Price and Seve Ballesteros among others. And when the Johnnie Walker Classic took place at The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Manila in 1995, I stayed glued to the TV for all four days of coverage, which would be won by the popular American golfer Fred Couples. I also looked forward to staying at my Mum’s house from time to time, as she had cable TV and it had extended coverage of the major golf tournaments as well. My playing time for golf decreased as I pursued basketball due to its popularity with my peers, combined with difficulty in accessing any nearby golf courses.

Little did I know that my love of golf would become an asset, until I started working for the EA Games account years later. It started when I installed a copy of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006 on my work computer to try it out. I was instantly hooked from there. Eventually, I tried out the console versions of the game, and soon found myself becoming the unofficial “game master” for all the Tiger Woods PGA Tour games. It even landed me the post of Resolution Specialist, where I served as a support agent to my colleagues taking in calls or answering emails. And especially when a player with a Tiger Woods PGA Tour concern was on the line, I would be tasked to handle the customer as needed.

Tiger Woods captures his 73rd PGA Tour win at The Memorial Tournament. He is now tied with tournament sponsor Jack Nicklaus for the second most career PGA Tour wins, trailing only Sam Snead’s 82 wins.

The arrival of Eldrick “Tiger” Woods on the PGA Tour in 1997 gave golf an even greater popularity with people, as his mixed background in a predominantly “white” tour combined with his prodigious skills, made him the sport’s equal to Michael Jordan. The increased coverage also meant that I was less and less looked down upon for my interest in a sport traditionally considered as “boring” and for the wealthy folk only. He would rack up endorsement deals one after the other, becoming an ambassador for a sport that was growing in audience. And along the way, he would win, win and yes, win again.

So what would my opinion be about Tiger Woods and his infidelity to his now ex-wife Elin Nordegren, you may ask.

Personally, I do not condone his actions. The many affairs he had during his marriage are inexcusable for any man, even for someone of his stature. He treated women as if they were tournaments he won almost week in and week out, and did not value the relationship he had with a wonderful woman and the two darling children she had borne. In that essence, Woods failed horribly as a husband and a father.

But at the same time, it does not take away from the fact that he is a great athlete. He conditions himself unlike any golfer before or after. He spends long hours honing his game. He has changed swing coaches and caddies to stay on top of his game. He plays intensely from opening to closing, front 9 to back 9, first hole all the way to the 18th. He speaks well of his competition but lets his game do the real talking. In that aspect, Woods is definitely the best active golfer in the world and is in shape to dethrone the “Golden Bear” Jack Nicklaus as possibly the greatest golfer of all time.

So after a three-year rut during which the scandalous affairs broke out in the media, he managed to capture two tournaments wins this year alone. He is now tied with Nicklaus for the second most PGA Tour wins all-time (73), only trailing Sam Snead’s 82 PGA Tour titles. Does that mean Tiger is finally back in the hunt for his next major?

The US Open is just around the corner. This is where Woods can prove he has consigned the demons of his three-year rut to history and march toward the all-time PGA Tour career and major win tallies.

But somehow, even if he does not succeed, he has several more years to do this. Snead took 30 years to reach 82 wins, while Nicklaus complied 73 wins in 25 years. Woods got to 73 wins in just 17 years, a full eight years less. Therefore, the math favors this predator.

Now, if only this predator could somehow stay tame off the course as he should. Oh, and thanks for proving golf is not such a “boring” sport.

Back in late March, Zynga launched its first-ever voice based teams for gameplay and technical support. Previously, only the Billing department provided this service to their players. With the monumental launch of this new line of business, I was nominated by several of my supervisors as a pioneer for the team, owing to my experience with handling phone calls in two of my previous accounts. Despite mild resistance, I accepted after learning of a good bonus to be added to our payroll and recalling the fond memories I had of my former line of work.

I was dispatched to the CityVille/Cafe World team when the service went live. Although I was averse to having to handle two key titles (and being the farthest thing from a fan of Cafe World was no helpful either), I bit the bullet and went about supporting my colleagues who had come from Cafe World and were learning their way with CityVille. In turn, I made it a point to try and learn what I could from my colleagues who had handled Cafe World. And slowly but surely, my confidence began to rise and I managed to revive my phone agent skills that had gone dormant in my tenure with Zynga.

The biggest challenge of being in the pioneer team was that of unstable schedules, as it jeopardized our chances of being able to file vacation leaves. As misfortune would have it, on the weekend my Pop planned his overnight birthday outing in Zambales, three my other colleagues had planned some serious things of their own. With the leaves denied, I was frantic. I managed to convince my supervisor to let me go out for the weekend (as someone was available to cover my absence) and two of my other officemates managed to push through with their plans. However, it left one of us to stay at work since no one could cover for him and I made a personal vow that he (and another teammate who managed to cover for me during my absence) would get paid back somehow. Oh, and I will go to the vacation weekend shortly.

With our schedules having stabilized for the time being, it has been a welcome change and I am hoping to get a more favorable schedule when the metrics for measuring our performance have been formally implemented. In the meantime, I stand on the lookout for opportunities that may help my personal career path finally escape the tar pit it has been in for so long.

*****

My sisters, niece and I posed for a picture at scenic Potipot Island Resort during Pop’s weekend birthday bash.

With my absence request approved, I was in for one of the best weekends of the year (as of this post). For the last weekend of April, Pop planned an overnight beach outing in Zambales with the family.

It began on the morning of Saturday, April 28, when we headed to Pop’s house to rendezvous with our other siblings and cousins on our way to the beach. We arrived in Angeles City before lunch and left in a rented van headed for the Subic Bay Freeport Zone outside Olongapo City, Zambales. After about two hours on the road, we arrived at All Hands Beach and sat down to a hearty lunch getting together with other relatives including my Tito Alex, who was manager of the day-to-day operations at the beach resort. We spent the afternoon and early evening bathing in the cool waters followed by some kayaking and beach volleyball. From there, we headed to a house rented for the evening, which happened to be the residences formerly used by the American soldiers. As it was still early, my cousin and I decided to rent a basketball at the nearby office and play a pickup game. Despite having to cut the game short due to my being out of shape, I managed to beat him and had a good workout overall. We ended the evening exchanging stories and relaxing to the quiet of the wooded surroundings.

We got up early the following morning (Sunday, April 29) and took the long drive to scenic Potipot Island Resort in the northerly town of Candelaria, Zambales. Pop and Tita Lydia decided to head home instead, to allow us more time to have fun. From there, we hopped on a boat and took the short ride to the island. After a long search for an available table, we found one near the docked boats and proceeded to a quick lunch before going for a dip in the clear waters of the South China Sea. However, the noticeable piles of garbage did lessen the natural beauty of the island and it left me to wonder what had happened since my first visit there a few years ago.

With the sun setting, we took the long ride back home and managed to stop for some treats along the way, including a hearty dinner at Shakey’s Pizza in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone to celebrate a successful weekend. And upon arriving in Angeles City, we rested for a few hours before finally heading back to Manila in our own car.

*****

And this past weekend (almost a month to the weekend in Zambales), we got together once more for a round of laser tag at Greenhills’ LazerMaxx. As luck would have it, our cousin Petite happened to have free passes for a round of laser tag good until the end of May only so we got together for the event. In yet another intense 15-minute session with us being split into three teams of three members each, we would finish in second place and kill-wise, I ended up right in the middle of the pack as with our last session. We then headed to KFC for a hearty lunch before I rushed off to work afterward.

And so, with a pair of epic weekends in stride for April and May, my summer was not so much of a bummer after all.

*****

Recently, we moved to a more spacious unit within our present condominium of Narra Heights after having resided in our previous unit for the past four and a half years. Despite our hectic schedules and the ensuing inconveniences we met, we have now started to settle into our new unit. Although it is noisier outside as it is facing the street, it does afford a more interesting view of the city from the veranda. And being on the second floor (as opposed to the third floor) as well as closer to the gate, the walk to home base is certainly less strenuous.

*****

Due to my previously erratic schedule at work, I haven’t been able to run as often as I used to and I have ended up missing many a running event over the past months. I feel myself gaining back the inches I lost, and I am desperate to find a trail of my own to blaze.

Wish me luck, folks.

*****

Kevin Durant has led his Thunder past the Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs en route to the Finals. Can he give the team a Larry O’Brien Trophy too?

The NBA Playoffs have been a hoot. The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by stars Kevin Durant, Paul Westbrook and James Harden, stunned the long time powerhouse San Antonio Spurs in six games to reach their first NBA Finals since moving to Oklahoma (with their last trip to the finals in 1996 as the Seattle Supersonics, where they lost to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games). After losing the first two games to the Texan trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, the young guns of The Sooner State won the next four games in improbable fashion to win the Western Conference Finals series. This leaves some questions for the Spurs, who in spite of their championship experience are sporting an older lineup that may have just a couple of seasons left in the tank.

Over in the Eastern Conference Finals series, the Boston Celtics were in nearly the same place as they hold a 3-2 lead against the Miami Heat. After the trio of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh gave South Beach a strong 2-0 lead, the Beantown Boys rallied their way to huge wins in the next three games. With the crucial Game Six at their homecourt of TD Garden, the Fab Four of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo counted on their experience of winning the title in 2008 to take them to the NBA Finals once more. In the meantime, LeBron James would likely suffer even more torment if his season ends very soon, as his perceived failure to lead his team to victory becomes a hallmark of his career.

But with their season at stake, the King James of old finally came out with guns blazing. He would torch his conference rivals with a 45-point outburst on enemy turf to win Game Six and even the series. And in Game Seven, the Heat survived a solid first half from the Celtics and with the game deadlocked at 73 points apiece to start the final quarter, Miami’s Big Three scored the team’s remaining 28 points (with James contributing 31 points and 12 rebounds, Wade adding 23 and Bosh scoring 19 for the game) to win the game 101-88 and secure their second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals.

This past weekend, the former World No. 1 golfer captured his second victory of the year at the Jack Nicklaus-sponsored The Memorial Tournament by two strokes, made possible with three birdies on his last four holes including a spectacular chip-in birdie at the 16th. With the win, Woods ties Nicklaus for second place on the all-time PGA Tour wins tally with 73 total, just nine shy of the late Sam Snead (82). After falling to a low of 50th in the world rankings, his two wins this year (he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March by five strokes, his first since the 2009 BMW Championship) have pushed him to fifth place among the PGA’s global talent. With the U.S. Open approaching later in the month, Woods may have finally exorcised the demons from the marital scandal involving him and his now ex-wife Elin Nordegren and his hunger for golfing greatness looks insatiable once more.

The question will be answered at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California in just over a week. And the world will be watching whether he snares Career Major No. 15. Click HERE for my blog entry on my love for golf and a more detailed analysis of Tiger Woods’ chances.

*****

Pawn Stars features (from left to right) Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison, his dad Rick Harrison and his grandfather Richard “Old Man” Harrison, who own a pawn shop in Las Vegas.

I have become heavily hooked on History Channel, especially for shows like Pawn Stars, American Pickers, American Restoration, Ice Road Truckers, Top Shot and The Universe. So much so that I did not shed a tear upon the removal of Discovery Channel from its standard lineup (even though I will miss Adam and Jamie’s antics in MythBusters). Along with Discovery Channel and sister channel Animal Planet, several other channels have now been made exclusively available to those who sign up for SkyCable’s DigiBox (a proprietary channel decoder box, apparently another sneaky way to make more money off couch potatoes like myself). Since the current cable TV arrangement in our condominium means that upgrading to the DigiBox will force all other tenants to upgrade, I am seriously considering signing up with another cable provider that can give me the channels I want without the added hullabaloo of gimmicky gadgets and excessive fees.

That is, after I get my TV fixed so that we still have options.

To return to my History Channel obsession, I found myself hooked on its most popular show Pawn Stars. The show focuses on the daily operations of the family-owned Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main stars include Richard “Old Man” Harrison, his son Richard Kevin “Rick” Harrison, grandson Corey “Big Hoss” Harrison and Big Hoss’ childhood friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell. They go over items with clients and discuss the history of these items, as well as haggling prices with them as in a typical pawn shop business, but also features interpersonal conflicts between the cast members. In some cases, they even call in experts from other fields to help verify items that they are unsure of.

American Pickers (marketed as The Pickers outside the US) features the adventures of partners Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they travel across America looking for antiques and collectibles from collectors, hoarders and the like. They receive leads from Danielle Colby-Cushman, who manages their head office in Le Claire, Iowa. Interpersonal conflicts also feature in the show as well as their locating and haggling for prices of the various items of interest. On occasion, they also consult local experts to appraise pieces that they are unsure of its real value.

American Restoration (marketed as Kings of Restoration outside the US) is a spin-off to Pawn Stars and features Rick Dale, who featured as having restored many items for Rick Harrison of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop before. The show features him and his staff working on various restoration projects, with the usual interpersonal conflicts. Key members include his son Tyler, his brother Ron, his girlfriend Kelly and workshop employees Kowboy, Kyle, Bob, Ted and Brettly (Kelly’s son). The history of the items is also discussed in the show, and haggling does take place, although much less often.

The Universe is a show featuring the many amazing aspects of the universe and the objects within using computer-generated imagery, with many prominent experts in the fields of astronomy, cosmology and astrophysics sharing their knowledge. Subjects such as space exploration and time travel are also discussed, making for a highly interesting show.

Ice Road Truckers is a reality show featuring a group of truckers who make a living transporting various items along the dangerous Dalton Highway in Alaska, as well as the usual interpersonal conflicts. I quickly grew to like Lisa Kelly, a native of Alaska who made her mark as the first female trucker in the series and soon became one of the top truckers in the series and its spinoff series IRT: Deadliest Roads (which feature the truckers traveling on dangerous roads elsewhere in the world e.g. India, Bolivia and Peru).

Top Shot is a reality competition show featuring contestants from various fields across the US, who engage in various shooting challenges. Competitors are eliminated one by one until only one remains, earning him a $10,000 grand prize and the title of “Top Shot”. The show is hosted by Survivor contestant Colby Donaldson. Various weapons are used, from bows to handguns to SMGs to sniper rifles and all others in between.

When watching shows such as Pawn Stars and The Pickers, I cannot help but feel sympathy for the stars of the shows when the clients begin to haggle with them excessively. Often, they expect to be paid at an auction level price when in fact, they have to ask for a lower price to be able to make a reasonable profit when reselling these items (which the client in term can misconstrue as being shortchanged or cheated). In an episode of The Pickers, after they buy a carnival banner for $700 and end up getting an offer of as much as $10,000 from one buyer, Mike and Frank go so far as to visit the original owner of the banner and give $5,000 to help towards rebuilding the old amusement park outside New York City that he now owns.

On the other hand, Ice Road Truckers highlights the challenges of trucking in the climate and terrain of the northernmost US state and gives me renewed respect for truckers who travel without fanfare to make commerce possible. And The Universe is the perfect show for the astronomer in me, as I get to learn more about the vast space that we inhabit and its many unique features.

But National Geographic is not down yet. They still have Cesar Millan in The Dog Whisperer, and that makes the end of my work week truly enjoyable.

*****

The rainy season is upon us. With Typhoon Mawar (Ambo) dumping heavy rain only days ago causing serious flooding and three reported deaths, we can only expect more wet days ahead of us. Time to get the dusty boots, raincoat and umbrella out of our closets.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/fractal-cracks-rain-check-recap/feed/0seriouslycanonPotipot just got pawned!The Durantula devastates. Period.Like father, like son, like grandson.Rack ‘Em Up: My Passion for Poolhttps://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/rack-em-up-my-passion-for-pool/
https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/rack-em-up-my-passion-for-pool/#respondWed, 22 Feb 2012 16:01:15 +0000http://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/?p=1345While I enjoy the sport of basketball and the exploits of superstars such as Michael Jordan, a disadvantage of the Filipino race is the tendency to be on the shorter side with regards to height. True, the melting pot that is the Philippines has been greatly influenced by the different people who have inhabited the islands throughout history. However, it seems that being among the taller nationalities was one of the attributes that somehow got lost in the gene pool.

Fortunately, there are sports that Filipinos have excelled in that do not have height as a major advantage. One of these sports is pocket billiards (or pool, as it is more popularly known), which has many variants such as eight-ball, nine-ball, ten-ball, rotation (where balls are pocketed in numerical order with a race usually to 61 points), and straight pool (where players call the ball and pocket of choice and a predetermined number of points declares the winner). And in the various disciplines of pool, Filipino players have come out and proven to be among the finest in the world.

Before the rise of Efren Reyes, the "Philippine Invasion" of the lucrative pocket billiards tour in the US was led by Jose "Amang" Parica. He would inspire many of his countrymen to successfully compete in professional pool leagues around the world.

Despite this, pool equipment remains expensive for all but the higher-income bracket and I was fortunate enough to have a pool table at our ancestral home. My earliest memories of the pool table involve my Pop challenging his friends to matches on occasion, and with bottles of beer in tow matches would easily extend to the early morning hours. Back then, I would wake up in the middle of the night and find him in the midst of a surprisingly competitive match. And being a young kid who tended to associate the sport with keeping Pop away from the kids, I was not naturally drawn to pocket billiards.

But years later, after studying in the big city and then being brought back to the province, I would end up giving the pool table a try. At around the same time, pocket billiards was gaining increased coverage on national television and a wave of Filipino cue artists would soon make their mark internationally as part of the famed “Philippine Invasion” of the US billiards scene. And while this was led by Jose “Amang” Parica with his early successes in the 80s and early 90s, a new star would soon emerge in Efren “The Magician” Reyes.

Efren "The Magician" Reyes, widely hailed as the best living pool player in the world, was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame in 2004 in recognition of his achievements in the various disciplines of pocket billiards and unparalleled shot-making and defensive abilities.

Coming from modest roots in Angeles City, he grew up in the pool halls of Manila where he served as an attendant racking balls for patrons and would even sleep on top of the tables at night. Earning the moniker Bata (The Kid) to identify him from an older peer with the same name, he honed his skill to the point that he would soon become arguably the greatest pool player on the planet. He would break through by capturing the 1994 US Open 9-Ball championship, and he would go on to compete in many big money events against the finest players in the world. He would reach truly global fame in 1999, when he would capture the World 9-Ball Championship besting a field comprised of the world’s top 128 players. He has remained competitive since, and has also won titles in other disciplines such as eight-ball and straight pool to boot. His recent induction into the Billiard Congress of America’s Hall of Fame is further testament to the level of respect he has gained among the sport’s fellow players and analysts.

So with the rising star of The Magician showcasing the competitive nature of the Filipino, I decided to try playing pocket billiards as well. And soon, I was hooked on pool.

I would learn many neat techniques and tricks from Pop, as I took every opportunity to challenge him at the table. And during the rare times I was able to play with him while he was downing a few beers, his skill was such that I affectionately called him the “Drunken Master”.

When I reached college, I would find myself quite often at the pool hall owned by an uncle of mine (Pop’s cousin, actually) and I had fun with the kangaroo tables wherein the balls would be dropped off at the foot of table making recovery of the balls simpler. But on days this was closed, I would end up playing at rundown pool halls where the tables were uneven and the cloth was in terrible shape, balls were damaged or missing and worst of all, the cue sticks were often warped or damaged otherwise. This spurred me to get a personal cue stick and just a few years later, I would own my first cue stick. However, as this was soon badly damaged, I was soon forced to get my second cue stick and make sure it would get better care this time around.

Aside from christening my new cue stick “Tara”, I also got a few extra items for extra preparation:

A pool glove, which is like a typical synthetic cloth glove except the ring and pinkie fingers are exposed. This is to make sure a smooth action when using a cue stick, as the stick itself has a tendency to get “sticky” due to humidity and other factors. While many players resort to using talcum powder as a workaround, it can be messy and hard to apply. This was popularized by players such as Earl “The Pearl” Strickland and Jeanette “The Black Widow” Lee.

Cue tip chalk, to guarantee good solid contact with the cue ball on any shot. I initially had three when I started out, and I should get some new chalk soon.

A cue tip chalk holder, to avoid misplacing the chalk. It consists of a receptacle to place the chalk, which then has a magnet that allows it to be attached to a special clip when not in use.

A good cue stick case, to protect my valued equipment. Initially it was a soft leather case but Pop replaced it with a stiffer case covered with a velvet-like purple fabric to afford better protection.

With that, I would soon take Tara everywhere with me and she would do well as a cue stick (even though I was not always the better player on any given day).

With the move from Discovery Center (Pasig City) to Market! Market! (Taguig City), more space became available for the unique amenities in the office. And just my luck, once of these happened to be a quality Brunswick pocket billiards table along with tournament quality Aramith Belgian billiard balls (with the trademark spotted cue ball to show the spin applied on it by a player). This is where I have spent many hours at the office, as it addressed my earlier concerns of a lack of an accessible venue as well as the pricey rates for use of such facilities. And I have gained respect from a number of people at work for my surprising skills on the pool table as well as my knowledge of the sport and its various disciplines.

Pocket billiards has even played a crucial role in restoring the relationship with Pop after years of acrimony, as it has become one of the few activities we actually do together. So much so in fact, that he has invited me to play pool each time I have visited my hometown of Angeles City on special occasions.

And with the recent influx of major pool tournaments in the country with international players in attendance, the Philippines has become the new “Mecca” of p0cket billiards. I was fortunate enough to be able to watch the finals of last year’s Predator 10-Ball Championship at a nearby mall, where countryman Dennis Orcollo knocked off Finnish star Mika Immonen to capture the title. Seeing the level of play the professionals engage in has made me even more interested in the sport, and I am hoping to have Pop watch one of these tournaments with me in the future.

And with more and more Filipinos picking up a cue and trotting off to the nearest pool hall for a few racks, it looks like we will keep our foothold in the sport for years to come.

And to Amang and Bata, thanks for proving that the Philippines is definitely not behind the eight-ball.

]]>https://seriouslycanon.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/rack-em-up-my-passion-for-pool/feed/0seriouslycanonThe invasion began with one man.The Magician is now a legend.